Walking the Halls as published on Nov. 11, 2009

Greetings from Parnell Elementary! Hard to believe that in just a short time we will be celebrating Thanksgiving, and, truly, at Parnell we have much for which to be thankful. It is a busy time of year, and one of the things I am most thankful for is an energetic staff committed to educational development of our children and a community that is supportive and always willing to lend a "helping hand."

There is much enthusiasm and excitement in our halls and on our playgrounds. Some of this has to do with climate and weather changes, and some of the excitement is related to special events at Parnell. On Monday, Nov. 2, Mrs. Seal, a fourth grade math and science teacher, planned and conducted an Outdoor Learning Day. Various people from our community as well as other parts of the state set up booths on our west playground and shared information with our students about their business, hobby, or area of expertise. We had representatives from the National Dairy Council, the Parks and Wildlife Department, Priority One Emergency, the U.S. Army, to name just a few. In all, there were 11 different areas to pique the interest of our students. Several of the fourth grade teachers who have been involved with this project for several years said that this was the best ever.

There are several dates on our calendar for the month of Nov. that will be of interest to parents. Our second six weeks ends Nov. 13. Nov. 18 students who made Right Choice this six weeks will be treated to a Thanksgiving Play written and produced by the High School Drama Department.

We are completing reading tutorials this week. Nov. 30 we will begin after-school math tutorials. Our school attained the rank of Exemplary, the highest ranking given by the Texas Education Agency, and we think our after-school tutorials are one of the reasons that our students do so well on the TAKS test.

Mrs. Marion Whittemore, our librarian, has planned our fall Book Fair for Nov. 16-20. During that week, we will host a "Coffee with Parents" to provide shopping time for our third and fourth graders We did not celebrate Grandparent's Day in September, but rather have chosen to invite our grandparents to come eat lunch with us on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 17 and 18. Children will be sending invitations with more information.

One of the most anticipated days at Parnell is Monday, Nov. 23. Mrs. Druscilla Maclin Woods, daughter of Mrs. Winnie Maclin and a JHS graduate, will be a visiting guest story teller in our library. Mrs. Woods has written stories about animals and their habitats and Texas folktales. She does a presentation using puppets to tell her stories. We know our students are in for quite a treat.

On Tuesday, Nov. 24, school will release at 1:30 p.m.to begin the observance of the Thanksgiving Holidays. It is evident that both students and teachers will be ready for this time of rest and relaxation with their families since October and November have been so busy. We are made mindful this time of year that we have much for which to be thankful. Parnell is a wonderful school, and as you can tell, lots of great things are happening here. As Principal, I want to say to my staff and students, "Thank you for the part that you play in making our school the special place that it is. I am blessed to be a part of the Parnell family."